5 Filipinos with MERS in UAE reported in stable condition

MANILA, Philippines — Five Filipinos infected with the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) remain quarantined at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates but are in stable condition, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday.

Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, the DFA spokesperson, made this disclosure, citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

The Filipino worker who died of the virus on April 10 is to be cremated in the UAE.

The DFA has withheld the name of the fatality.

“The Embassy is helping the family comply with necessary procedures for the cremation of the remains,” said Jose.

Last week, the DFA called on Filipinos across the Middle East to take precautionary measures in light of the continuing threat of the virus and to “follow the advice of the local health authorities in their host countries.”

MERS-CoV, a deadly virus known to have stemmed from the same viral family as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, has infected more than 240 people, killing at least 93, according to the World Health Organization.

The symptoms of the disease include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and even diarrhea. Cases of MERS-CoV have been recorded in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman, the DFA said.

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